Titanic's Sister Ships Titanic's Sister Ships The Titanic was the second of three large liners intended to work the Southampton-New York "shuttle" service. The sister ships were planned to be near identical. RMS Olympic Olympic & Titanic in Belfast Launched on 20th October 1910 Olympic was the first of the trio of White Star Liners. Under the command of Captain E.J. Smith (who was later to command the Titanic) she sailed on June 14th 1911 on her Maiden voyage to New York. The Olympic was received well, but on 20th September 1911 she was involved in a collision with cruiser HMS Hawke. After limping back to Belfast she was repaired using components from her sister (Titanic) then under construction. After the Titanic disaster, Olympic underwent various safety improvements including lifeboats for all aboard, and in October 1912 she returned to Belfast again for installation of an inner watertight skin. On 1st September 1915 the Olympic was requisitioned by the British Government for war service as a troopship. Later she received a coat of dazzle paint designed to confuse enemy observers.

Perhaps her most famous exploit of the war years was when she struck and sank a German submarine, U103. After the war she returned to commercial service, and despite her early mishaps, she gained an affectionate following and earned the nickname "Old Reliable". Her bad luck returned on 15th May 1934 when the Olympic collided with the Nantucket lightship with the loss of 7 lives. Her last voyage ended in Southampton on April 12th 1935, on 13th October 1935 she arrived Palmers Yard on the Tyne for breaking up. Her pitiful remains were finally towed to Inverkeithing on 19th September 1937 for final demolition. Fittings from the Olympic were sold off at auction, and to this day it is possible to see them. Notable locations include the White Swan Hotel, Alnwick, England and the famous "Honour and Glory Crowning Time" wood carving can be seen in the Southampton Maritime Museum.

Recommended Reading: RMS Olympic "The Old Reliable" by Simon Mills Publisher: Waterfront Publications - ISBN: 0-946184-79-8 HMHS Britannic HMHS Britannic at Mudros on 3rd October 1916 Britannic started life under the cloud of the Titanic disaster, from the start she was expected to be named "Gigantic" but she was built as Britannic, considered by White Star as a lucky name (the White Star Line had three ships named Britannic over the years - HMHS Britannic was the second). In appearance the Britannic resembled the Titanic, having an enclosed promenade A-Deck, but one large difference was the lifeboat davits which were much more prominent on the Britannic. Below decks, the Britannic was similar to her sisters, but additional safety features (such as a double skin) were "built in" rather than retrofitted. Although her service speed was not intended to be increased, she was fitted with a more powerful turbine capable of developing 18,000HP compared to the 16,000HP of the Olympic, it was the largest marine turbine in the world.

Launched on 26th February 1914, fitting out was delayed by WW1 and financial/industrial difficulties. On 13th November 1915 the Britannic was requisitioned as a hospital ship becoming HMHS (His Majesty's Hospital Ship) Britannic. Receiving a coat of brilliant white paint, with huge red crosses each lit by 125 lights. On 11th December 1915 she left Belfast and started her short career. On 8:12am on 21st November 1916 Britannic struck a mine (some still contest it was a torpedo) in the Kea Channel, Aegean Sea. Despite her improved safety features, the Britannic began to sink in a cruel copycat of her sister's end four years earlier. Attempts were made to beach the ship on the nearby island of Kea, but it was not to be. Two lifeboats, launched without authority from the port side were sucked into the propellers and smashed to pieces....the occupants didn't stand a chance. At 9:07 the stern disappeared beneath the ocean.

From that moment the Olympic became the last survivor of White Star's dream of a three-ship New York shuttle. In retrospect, the disaster could have been much worse. If the Britannic had been on a homebound journey with wounded aboard, the loss of life would have been unthinkable. In 1976 the famous French explorer Cousteau discovered the wreck lying on her side at a depth of 110 meters and recovered a few small objects. Considering the shallow water that the Britannic rests in and the length of time her position has been know it's perhaps ironic that the wreck of the Britannic is safer from would-be salvagers than the Titanic. As a requisitioned ship in the service of Crown, the wreck to this day belongs to the British Government. On 27th August 1995, the British newspaper, The Sunday Express, reported that a team of 12 Greek divers led by Kostos Thoktardis would attempt to raise the wreck.

A week later (3rd September 1995) The Sunday Express reported that Paul Louden-Brown wrote to the British Ministry of Defence insisting that representations were made to the Greek Governmentt to stop Mr Thoktardis's plans. Recommended Reading: HMHS Britannic "The Last Titan" by Simon Mills Publisher: Waterfront Publications - ISBN: 0-946184-71-2 Last Update — November 14, 2005 RMS Titanic and Her Sister-Ships Home Page Click on the graphic to vote for this page as a Starting Point Hot Site RMS Titanic and her sister-ships Home Page! "Are you ready to go back to: Olympic, Titanic, and Britannic?" This site is dedicated to the 1,523 souls, who lost their lives, during the early morning hours of Monday the 15th of April 1912, on board the RMS Titanic. Two of the sister-ships, *Olympic and Titanic* in Belfast. This would be the last time, the Olympic and the Titanic, would be seen together. Left -- is the RMS Olympic...Right -- is the RMS Titanic.

Since I was a kid in school, I had a big interest, in the story of the Titanic. Like most kids, I chose to do a school project on the one subject, that really peaked my interest *The Titanic*, however, in my days, we didn't have the internet, or video's, so all my learning, about the subject, was done through books. Since leaving school, I never lost my interest for the Titanic, so I have watched numerous documentries on the subject, and vertualy all the movies ever made. I hear you ask "So why this web site?" Well I thought about it, and thought back, to how hard it was for me, to learn about this subject, so I wanted to do something, which could offer kids of today, an easy platform for studying, plus, for the adults to get a kick out of it as well. So I hope you enjoy my site, as much as I did building it. Copyright ©: 2000, Christina Goodman HMHS Britannic: Titanic's Little "Big" Sister Titanic's Little "Big" Sister A Brief History Everyone is familiar with the story of April 15, 1912.

That was the day when over 1,700 souls pershised when the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and plunged two miles to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Most people know that the Titanic had an older sister, the RMS Olympic, but, what most people do not know was that the Titanic also had a younger sister - the RMS Britannic. On November 30, 1911 the keel of the last of three ships was laid out in the Harland and Wolfe shipyards in Belfast, Ireland. She was to be the largest and the fastest of the three. Her name was the RMS Gigantic. She would be a record 852 foot long, only a few feet longer than the Titanic. The Gigantic was to be filled with decorations that would compare to the finest mansions in England. However, she would never live up to the reputation of her two sisters for a tragedy would change all of these plans. After the sinking of the Titanic the White Star Line had to change the design of the Gigantic. The first thing to be changed was the name of the ship herself.

Since the name Gigantic was similar to Titanic, White Star felt that to be a bad omen, so the name was changed to the RMS Britannic. The engineers had to completely redesign the hull of the ship. The bulkheads, that only went to the E-Deck on the Titanic would go all the way to the top on the Britannic. The hull was reinforced along the bottom and sides of the ship so that things like icebergs could not damage the ship. The last, and most important, were the lifeboats. The Britannic would carry enough lifeboats to carry all of the passengers on board. (Some of the lifeboats on the Britannic were ones that had been carried on the Titanic). The Britannic was launched on April 26, 1914, just over two years after the Titanic disaster. Three months later World War One broke out in Europe. The British government began to commission passenger liners to serve as military vessels. The Olympic, the oldest of the three sisters became a troop ship. The Britannic was converted into a hospital ship in November of 1915. The ship was repainted white with red crosses on the sides of her hull.

Her interior was refitted to carry over 3,000 patients. She was commandes by Captain Charles "Iceberg Charlie" Bartlett. There was also a compliment of 100 doctors and 675 crew members. On December 12, 1915 His Majesty's Hospital Ship (HMHS) Britannic was ready for service. The Britannic left England in December 1915 on her way to Naples, Italy for coal and then to the island of Lemnos. The British military had chosen Lemnos, a Greek island, as a staging point for all military action in the Mediterranean Sea. It also made an excellent depot for hospital ships to pick up wounded soldiers and return them home to England. The Britannic joined several converted passenger liners including the Mauretania and the Aquatania. The ships, carrying over 10,000 wounded, would travel together to make them a less desireable target for German U-Boats. She returned to England in January 1916. Her second voyage was only to Naples to pick up wounded and returned to England in February 1916.

After her third voyage in April 1916, the Britannic was released from war service as was sent to Ireland to be refitted for commercial service. The shipyard was not able to accomplish their goals because the Britannic was called back into war service in August of 1916. She was sent to the Isle of Wight to serve as a temporary floating hospital. Her fourth and fifth voyages began in September 1916 and October 1916, respectively. Her sixth voyage would result in the Britannic arriving at her final destination - the bottom of the Agean Sea. Britannic left Naples and arrived in the Kea Channel on November 21, 1916. The crew had settled down to routine duties aboard ship. The nurses were preparing the hospital wards before they were to take on the next group of wounded soldiers for the return home. They had opened the portholes to air the rooms out. Engineers, down below, were preparing to change shifts. To make the job go smoother they decided to leave the water-tight doors open. It was about 8:00am when the crew was sitting down for breakfast when something went terribly wrong.

The Britannic was rocked by a major explosion to the port side of the ship. The ship had either come into contact with an underwater mine or was torpeoded by a German U-Boat. Water began to rush into the bow causing the ship to go down by the head. The captain gave to order to abandon the ship. Due do the fact that a majority of the portholes were opened as well as the watertight doors not being closed due to the shift change allowed the water to flood the ship at an acclerated rate. This meant that all of the saftey measures added to the Britannic, as a result of the Titanic, were of no use. The Britannic began to go under at an alarming rate. She also began to list heavily to the starboard side. Meanwhile, as the crew were getting inot the lifeboats, the Captian tried one, las, desperate act. He thought if he restarted the Britannic's engines that it might be possible to beach her on Kea Island. What Bartlett did not know was that the propellers were already breaking the surface of the water when they began to turn. This meant disaster for the first lifeboats lowered toward the stern of the ship.

The propellers began to create a suction pulling the lifeboats into them. The first couple boats stood no chance. The were drawn in and shredded along with the crew members in them. Upon realizing this, Captain Bartlett shut the engines off for the last time. The starting of the engines would not have helped anyway because the front of the Britannic and already touched down into the mud below. Out of the 1066 poeple on the Britannic, only 30 died due to the propellers. Captain Bartlett swam away from the ship just in time to see it plunge beneath the waves. The whole incident took place in less than an hour and a half. The Britannic now lies in 360 feet of water in the Agean Sea, a body of water she was never meant to travel on. She lies on her starboard side. The bow of the ship has smashed forward due to the fact the ship hit the bottom while the stern was still exposed above the water. She rested there, her exact location never truly known until Jaques Cousteau discovered her in 1976.

It would not be until the 1990's that Robert Ballard, the same man who found the Titanic, would rediscover the Britannic. Dr. Ballard's goal is to make the Britannic and underwater museum that can be visited on the World Wide Web. In 1998 and 1999 Project Britannic , British organization, funded several diving expeditions to the wreck for an up close examination. Today the Britannic, Titanic's Little "Big" Sister, is the largest ocean liner on the ocean floor. Britannic Links Sister Ships of the Titanic Contact Sister Ships of the Titanic The Titanic was the second of three ships that were planned on being built as a shuttle service from Southampton to New York. Intended to be similar in design, these were engineered to be the most luxurious cruise vessels on the planet. Here is some of the history and facts behind the two White Star Lines ships that did not meet as historic of a fate as the RMS Titanic–the RMS Olympic and the HMS Britannic. RMS Olympic Little sister to the Titanic, the RMS Olympic was launched on October 20, 1911 and was captained by Edward J.

Smith, the same man who captained the Titanic on the night of its tragic sinking. Her maiden voyage took place on June 14, 1911 and made the trip from Southampton to New York successfully. Like the Titanic, the Olympic also had problems while sailing. On September 20, 1911 she was involved with a collision with a cruiser by the name of HMS Hawke. The Olympic received massive damage and was repaired using parts from her sister ship the Titanic. After the sinking of the Titanic, the Olympic had a facelift that bolstered safety precautions including an increased number of lifeboats and an inner watertight skin that was installed. The ship was requisitioned by the British government on September 1, 1915 as a vessel used to transport troops. Perhaps her most famous military exploit was when she struck and sank a german submarine by the name of U103. The Olympic then returned to work as a shuttle ship and her bad luck would return. Even with the newly earned nickname “Old Reliable”, the Olympic would meet tragedy yet again after colliding with the Nantucket lightship, claiming the lives of 7 individuals.

Her career ended on April 12, 1935 in Southampton. Her ragged body was dismantled on September 19, 1937 and parts were auctioned off. Some of her components can be seen today at various locations including the White Swan Hotel in Alnwick, England. A famous wood carving titled “Honour and Glory Crowning Time” can be found at the Southampton Maritime Museum. HMHS Britannic The HMHS Britannic was built under the shroud of the Titanic tragedy and was initially planned to be named the Gigantic. Britannic was chosen as the name because it was deemed by the White Star Line as a lucky name; the company had three ships with this name, this being the second. She closely resembled the Titanic with her enclosed A deck but had a few different features including additional lifeboat davits. Additional safety upgrades were added to the Britannic including a watertight double skin that was installed during construction instead of being added after the ship was built like the Olympic. There was no initial plan to increase the power of the Britannic but she ended up boasting an 18,000 horsepower turbine instead of the 16,000 horsepower turbine featured on the Titanic.

Its engine was the largest turbine in the world at the time. The Britannic’s launch occurred on February 26, 1914. the ship was soon requisitioned by the British navy as a hospital ship (Her Majesty’s Hospital Ship) giving it the HMHS Britannic name. On December 11, 1915 the Britannic began its short maritime career. On November 21, 1916 the Britannic struck a mine (some believe it may have been a torpedo) while sailing the Kea Channel in the Agean Sea. The ship immediately being to sink in the same manner as her sister the Titanic despite the improved safety features which were installed. The true horror began when two lifeboats were launched and immediately sucked into the ship’s propellors. The sinking of the Britannic made the Olympic the only surviving vessel of the White Star Line shuttle service. Her wreckage was discovered in 1976 by famous french explorer Jaques Cousteau and a few small objects were recovered. Because the ship was requisitioned by the navy, the remains of the Britannic, which lie in shallow waters, are currently the property of the British government.

The wreckage was set to be recovered in 1995 by a team of Greek explorers, but their attempts were cut short following representations to the Greek government to halt the expedition. Titanic Sister Ship Britanic, RMS Titanic and Her Sisters Titanic Sister Ship Britanic, RMS Titanic and Her Sisters Titanic, Olympic, Britannic History Built by the Harland Wolff company in Belfast, Ireland, the Titanic, Olympic, and Britannic were designed to be the most luxurious cruise lines of their time. Tickets for these vessels cost an absolute mint, but guests were treated with the finest luxury items ever to sail the seas. These ships were run by White Star Cruise Lines of Southampton, England. Both Titanic sister ships were smaller than her, but still quite large for their time. Each had different experiences, and met a different eventual end. The Titanic and her sister ships are still some of the most famous vessels in history, and parts of them have been preserved in museums for all to see. Titanic Sister Ship Britannic Originally planned to be called the Giganitc, the Britannic was built and forced to live under the cloud of the Titanic disaster.

The Titanic sister ship Britannic was named this because it was considered a lucky name; something that the White Star Line figured was needed after the Titanic sank into the Atlantic. The White Star had three ships named the Britannic over the years and the Titanic sister ship Britannic was the second. As far as looks went, the Titanic, Olympic, and Britannic all looked similar, but the Britannic looked much more like the Titanic than her other sister. On the inside, the Titanic sister ship Britannic also looked similar to her sister, but had more safety features. It was not designed to reach faster speeds than the Olympic and the Titanic, but it was fitted with the largest marine turbine in the world and boasted 18,000 horsepower. The Titanic sister ship Britannic was first launched on February 26, 1914 and made its first appearance on the seas as the HMS (Her Majesty’s Hospital Ship) Britannic in November, 1915. After completing 5 successful voyages to the Middle Eastern theater of operations, transporting the wounded back to the United Kingdom, she departed on her 6th voyage on November 12, 1916.

On November 21st, 1916, at 8:12 AM, the Britannic struck a mine (some believe it was a torpedo) in the Kea Channel of the Aegean Sea. Her improved safety features weren’t enough to sustain the blast and she began sinking in similar fashion to her sister the Titanic. Famous French explorer Jacques Cousteau discovered the wreck at a depth of 110 meters and recovered a few objects from it in 1976. To this day, the shallow wreck of the Titanic sister ship Britannic belongs to the British Government because it was requisitioned as a naval medical vessel, and remains in the Kea Channel and likely will not be raised by request of the British government. Related Posts: 1000+ images about RMS Britannic. on Pinterest | Fresh cream, Photographs and Hospitals Forward His Majesty's Hospital Ship HMHS BRITANNIC was the third and largest Olympic-class ocean liner of the White Star Line. The sister ship to RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic, she was launched on 26 February 1914 at the Belfast shipyard of Harland & Wolff.

See More Titanic's Sisters - Britannic and Olympic Titanic's Sisters - Britannic and Olympic Updated on September 26, 2014 There Were Three White Star Liners in the Same Class Everyone knows the story of the sinking of the Titanic, but not everyone knows that the she was one of a trio of sister ships that also included the HMHS Britannic and the RMS Olympic. The Olympic Class Ocean Liners of the White Star Line were built to better the biggest, fastest liners afloat. White Star's intention was for the three to be bigger and more luxurious than rival Cunard's Lusitania and Mauretania. Sadly, only one of these three beautiful vessels ever enjoyed a real career as a passenger ship. But, even she had an extended interruption in that career. Do you know which one? Here, then is a brief introduction to the two lesser known sisters. Read on to find out about the two lesser known liners of the same class, from the comforts and career of the much loved Olympic, to the sad fate of the heroic Britannic. Olympic (left), Titanic under construction, 1910, PD | Source What Are Sister Ships?

There Were Three in the Olympic Class Sister ships are vessels that are all built to the same design specifications, for the same line, and by the same shipbuilder. They will be alike in size, with like hulls, power and propulsion systems, equipment, and interior layouts. There can be minor variations from one sister ship to the next, but to the casual observer, except for things like décor, these may not always be immediately noticeable. A class of ships is customarily named after the first sister to be built. The order in which the three sisters were built was: 1 - Olymmpic 2 - Titanic 3 - Britannic All three were built for White Star Line, by the Harland & Wolff shipyard, in Ireland. They were the premier shipbuilders of that time. A New Class of Ocean Liners White Star wanted to Outdo Cunard with these Three Big Ships As today, the different lines then strove to to out do one another. White Star Line ordered the Olympic Class ships to be bigger and more luxurious than RMS Lusitania and RMS Mauretania, both of which sailed for rival line Cunard. Luxury (for the day) was everywhere on these ships.

Some First Class cabins even had private baths; and it was on these new vessels that White Star replaced third class dormitories with cabins accommodating from two to ten passengers. The fabulous Grand Staircase, that everyone remembers from the movie Titanic, was designed especially for Olympic Class ships. (Poster available at Zazzle) | Source General Specifications of the Olympic Class of Ocean Liners Grt: around 46,000 Decks: 9 Passenger Capacity: 2,435 Construction of the first ship began in 1908, and the final sister was completed in 1914. FOUR FUNNEL LINERS They were three of only 14 four funnel liners ever built. However, their fourth funnel was only for aesthetics and ventilation. Are You Familiar with Olympic Class Ships? - Or did you think the Titanic was unique? Did you already know that the Titanic was an Olympic Class Ship and that she had two sisters in the same class? Did you already know about the other two ships? No, I only ever heard of the Titanic. I knew there were other ships like her, but didn't know their names or class. I had heard of one of the other two ships.

Yes, I already knew about all three ships. Read More about Them - Their Stories are Fascinating The interconnected stories of these three ships are among the most fascinating ever This book is not only good reading, but is well illustrated with photographs, too. Any who loves maritime history in general, or that of ocen liners in particular, will enjoy this book from author Mark Chirnside. He is widely accepted as one of the foremost authorities on Olympic class ships. The Olympic 1911 to 1935 The RMS (Royal Mail Ship) Olympic was the only one of the three sisters to have a successful career as an ocean liner. During her lifetime, she sailed 1.8 million miles! Olympic's Maiden Voyage: June 14, 1911 (get it at Zazzle) | Source Promenade Deck on the RMS Olympic | Source Ocean Liner Luxuries Impressed Passengers of the Era Here's a look at the Promenade Deck of the Olympic. This was one place where Titanic differed from Olympic. Part of Titanic's Promenade Deck was enclosed so that it could be used in bad weather. It must have been an absolutely wonderful place for a stroll after dinner.

I think I would have enjoyed that myself! Promenade Deck, RMS Olympic, PD-US Other luxuries aboard the ships included a Turkish Bath, Veranda Cafe, a swimming pool, and separate smoking rooms in first, second, and third class. Smoking rooms were for gentlemen only. As you can see from the following pictures, the décor was quite elegant. Veranda Cafe Veranda Cafe on Olympic (1912 photo) | Source First Class Smoking Room Olympic's First Class Smoking Room in 1912 | Source First Class Lounge A 1920's photo of the First Class Lounge | Source Olympic and Titanic at Belfast, Ireland, drydock in 1912 | Source Olympic's Woes Delay Titanic's Completion NOt once, but twice in her first year, Olympic found herself in need of emergency repairs. Twice, work on Titanic was halted, so that the only Olympic class ocean liner to yet produce revenue could be sped back into service. In September of 1911, Olympic suffered flooded compartments and a twisted propeller shaft when she and HMS Hawke collided at sea. She received Titanic's propeller shaft.

Then, in February, 1912, Olympic lost a propeller blade, and again displaced her unfinished sister from her drydock at Belfast. As a result of these work stoppages, Titanic's maiden voyage was delayed some 21 days past the originally scheduled date. RMS Titanic The RMS Titanic's maiden voyage began from Southampton on April 12, 1912, and ended on the sea floor in the early hours of April 15, 1912 After the Sinking of Titanic Changes Were Made to The Remaining Two Vessels After the sinking of Titanic, changes were made to Olympic and Britannic. Additional lifeboats were added. Watertight bulkheads were extended upward. A watertight "skin" was added to the engine and boiler rooms. As a result of design changes stemming from the tragic events of April, 1912, when finally finished, Britannic was larger than Titanic by a couple of feet, several tons heavier, and had more powerful engines to compensate for the extra weight. The White Star Switch Conspiracy - Which ship really sank?

There is a theory that the RMS Titanic and the RMS Olympic were 'switched' by White Star Line, because of damage to the older ship during her collision with HMS Hawke, and that it was really Olympic that sank. Was a damaged RMS Olympic purposely sent out by White Star Line, to sink in the place of Titanic? That's the claim of the switch theory. In this book, a noted authority on the famous ocean liners explores this theory. Olympic's first Captain went on to be Captain of the Titanic How RMS Britannic would have looked on her maiden voyage as a White Star Ocean Liner | Source The Royal Mail Ship that Never Sailed RMS Britannic Here is what Britannic might have looked lif she had ever sailed as a passenger ship, but was not to be. If you look closely, you can even see the newly added davits for hoisting the additional lifeboats. How RMS Britannia Would Have Looked, PD-US, PD-1923, wikipedia Although the RMS Britannic never sailed, the HMHS Britannic did. There has been a persistent story that her name was to have been Gigantic, but was changed after Titanic sank due to the similarity. White Star always denied this.

Britannic never saw her maiden transatlantic voyage. WAR With the beginning of World War I in August, 1914, work was stopped or slowed on all vessels not a part of the war eftort. Work on Britannic continued, but at a much slower pace, and with a low priority for materials. As a safety precaution, Olympic was withdrawn from passenger service, and took refuge in Belfast, alongside her unfinished sister, in November of that year. HMT RMS Olympic, Sailing as HMT2810 | Source HMT 2810 Goes to War "Old Reliable" It was bound to happen. The Great War was raging, and here were these two great ships, safely tucked away at the shipyard in Belfast. The head of the White Star Line had hoped they would stay there for the war's duration. But, no. Olympic was requisitioned as a fast troop transport. After having her magnificent appointments removed, bunks installed, and guns mounted, she sailed as HMT 2810 on September 24, 1915.

HMT 2810 racked up an impressive war record, transporting over 200,000 British, Canadian, and U.S. troops, and even rescuing survivors of France's sunken Provencia. She was fondly dubbed "Old Reliable" during her war service. AND she was the only merchant ship in the entire war to do one utterly amazing thing. More on that later! During her time serving her country, she was painted in a "dazzle" camo paint pattern SIDE NOTE: Dazzle camouflage painting was intended to confuse rather than disguise. Read more about dazzle camouflage . HMHS RMS Britannic Becomes HMHS Britannic - and Serves Her Country with Honor HMHS Britannic, serving as a hospital ship in World War II | Source HMS Britannic Role in World War II After having been made ready, the newly redesignated HMHS Britannic sailed into service of her country on December 23, 1915. Repainted white, with a green stripe running from bow to stern, and three large red crosses, she was unmistakably a hospital ship. Her mission was to bring the sick and wounded from the theater of war back home to Great Britain.

Between December of 1915 and November of 1916, she completed five successful round trips. She traveled both ways with a full complement of doctors and nurses in addition to her crew. On return legs, her wards were filled with sick and wounded fighters. But not a single civilian passenger was ever privileged to book passage on her. A WWII German U Boat | Source An Ocean Liner SINKS a U-boat A Remarkable Feat for a Passenger Ship In May of 1912, HMT 2810 (Olympic) was doing a crossing, filled with U.S. soldiers being transported to France. On the morning of the 18th, lookouts sighted a German submarine, U-103, on the surface ahead. The submarine had already sunk 8 ships, and was preparing to launch torpedos for her ninth kill - HMT 2810! HMT's gunners opened fire, as the sub dove. Captain Hayes turned the huge liner into the sub, ramming her and gashing her conning tower. The Olympic then continued on her way.

The USS Davis came along, and picked up the u-103's 31 survivors, some of whom confirmed that they were, indeed, preparing to torpedo the Olympic. So it was that the Olympic accomplished the remarkable feat of being the only merchant vessel to actually SINK a German warship in WWI. Britannic Sinks, as shown in film "Britannic" | Source November 21, 1916 The End for Britannic On the morning of November 21, 1916, as she was en route to the war theater for the sixth time, an explosion suddenly rocked His Majesty's Hospital Ship Britannic. The improvements made as a result of lessons learned from the sinking of Titanic should have kept her afloat for at least three hours. But the new measures didn't keep her afloat, partly because nurses had opened portholes on lower infirmary decks, in order to air out the wards. Water poured in. It took Britannic only 55 minutes to slip beneath the surface and sink to the bottom of the sea.

Since she was on her way to pick up patients, there were none aboard at the time, or there surely would have been more lost than the 30 who did perish. Though officially undetermined whether she hit a mine, or was targeted by a German torpedo boat, there is reason to believe she was intentionally sunk by a torpedo. Passenger Service is Restored in 1920 After the war, Olympic returned to the shipyard in Belfast, where she was refurbished, and refitted with the furnishings and equipment that had been removed prior to going to war. She was also converted to run on oil at this time. She returned to passenger service in 1920, and continued on until White Star, having merged with Cunard, withdrew her from service in 1935. She served admirably for 24 years, and was the only sister to ever complete a civilian sailing. Celebrity Millennium, docked in Nassau | Source The Three Sisters Today Where are These Three Ocean Liners today? Olympic was scrapped in 1935, but many of her furnishings and appointments were auctioned first. Parts of her are scattered round the globe.

Pieces can be seen at the Southampton Maritime Museum, and the White Swan Hotel in Alnwick, England. Celebrity Cruises keeps a small part of her alive and sailing. The RMS Olympic Restaurant on board the Celebrity Millennium has as part of its décor original wooden panels from the Olympic's a la carte restaurant. Britannic lies where she sank, in 400' of water, three miles off the Greek island of Kea, and is officially designated as a war grave. Titanic, as everyone knows, continues to sleep in her watery grave, 2.33 miles below the surface of the cold Atlantic, and 370 miles from Mistaken Point, Newfoundland . Her treasures are subject to plunder by those capable of operating at such depths, but ownership of Titanic artifacts is the subject of a court ruling. Related Links Website with searchable ship database about warships, passenger liners, merchant ships, photo galleries, technical details, stories, news and much more. Did you learn something new here? - (a poll) Did you learn something on this page about the Sister Ships to Titanic? Yes I did. What do you think of the stories of Britannic and Olympic?

While their sister Titanic continues to get the lion's share of attention, do you agree that the other two Olympic Class Ocean Liners deserve to be honored as well? More by this Author When the ship left the dock, it was just a little stormy. It got worse, in a big way. What a ride we had on the Freedom of the Seas. 17 How to enjoy the first day of your cruise. What's so special about the first day? Several important DOs and DON'Ts can help you avoid frustration and potential disaster. 49 If you've been on a cruise, chances are you didn't sail on an ocean liner, but a cruise ship. Which is which? Learn some ofo the basic differences here. The Guestbook Is: OPEN 80 comments Cynthia Haltom 3 years ago from Diamondhead Beautiful lens, thanks for sharing. I learned quite a few things from it. anonymous 3 years ago Even though I have learned here that the place where the Britannic went down had been named a war grave, have there been any recent dives to take pictures of the wreck? The 100th anniversary of her sinking will be coming up in two years, but will anyone care or even remember it?

(There isn't even that much said about World War One AKA 'The Great War' as it is....From what I have noticed, it barely even gets a sentence or two in school history books!) So who is to say if even the Britannic will get some mention when that day rolls around? Pat Goltz 3 years ago Fascinating! I learned a great deal from this, and found it intensely interesting. Aunt-Mollie 3 years ago Fantastic pictures! People will never stop telling the story of the Titanic, but I really hadn't heard much about the other two. anonymous 3 years ago I just recently learned something shocking and astounding about Titanic. Go to youtube and type in "Why They Sunk The Titanic." The full length documentary is 51:55 and uncovers the shocking secret about Titanic and Olympic. Watch it until the end, where the undeniable evidence stands before you. joancol lm 3 years ago I find good information about the Titanic's sisters here. Projectlazy 4 years ago Really enjoyable read. I think I'm going to go watch the Movie now. mistaben 4 years ago This is a really excellent read for me =) nightbear lm 4 years ago Wonderful!

I love this whole era and have always been fascinated by these ships and the lives effected by the tragedies. Great lens, thank you. JohnTannahill 4 years ago from Somewhere in England I was aware there were sister ships but I didn't really know much about them. Thanks. SusanRDavis 4 years ago from Vancouver What an enjoyable story to read. I had no idea of the great history of these ships. chinchilla-cages 4 years ago Great information on these three ships! homphreybugart 4 years ago I recently acquired some negatives of photos of Havana, Cuba, ca 1932, and there is a 4 stack liner in a couple of them, I found this lens as I am researching, Very Nice ! Noellel 4 years ago Expat Mamasita 4 years ago from Slovakia An excellent lens. I had only heard of the Titanic. KevinGeetar 4 years ago Nice lens, very informative and well put together. lovemypins 4 years ago Interesting stuff! writerkath 4 years ago Interesting stuff!

A few years ago, when the movie "Titanic" w/ Leonardo DiCaprio was so popular, John & I had a pre-sinking postcard of the Olympic (knew it was pre-sinking because it mentioned the Titanic, and they quickly stopped mentioning Titanic afterwards). Anyway, we sold it for several hundred dollars on eBay if you can believe that! Today, it may not sell for as much - but we knew it was timely, so we did ok. Squid Blessed! Dressage Husband 4 years ago from Pine Grove, Nova Scotia, Canada I knew of the other ships but not their full stories. Thank you for sharing this. flycatcherrr 4 years ago I can't get enough of these sister ships! You've done a fantastic job of telling the Olympic's story here - I was delighted to learn some new things about her career. SayGuddaycom 4 years ago Excellent lens. I knew of the Britannic but didn't know how quickly she also sank. They would have been stunning to be aboard wouldn't they? SayGuddaycom 4 years ago Excellent lens. I knew of the Britannic but didn't know how quickly she also sank.

They would have been stunning to be aboard wouldn't they? Pete Schultz 4 years ago Much more detail than the usual mention of the three ships in a documentary almost solely about Titanic. A very interesting read. anupma lm 4 years ago Fascinating news. i love it. Very happy to know all about it. Thanks for sharing. Ruthi 4 years ago I do not recall ever hearing of the sister ships of the Titannic. You have disclosed fascinating information, especially the conspiracy theory of the switching of the Olympic and Titannic. Obviously, the history of the Olympic and Britannic are as important as the Titannic, if not more so. anonymous 4 years ago The Britannic was almost named the "Gigantic", before the Name was Changed. The Olympic was the First of the Three, then Titanic and finally the Britannic but I didn't know that the Modern ships had some artifact of the Original. That's Cool!!! ;D :) getmoreinfo 4 years ago I like reading about the old ships and their history, very interesting lens, you did a great job of presenting the information.

ElizabethSheppard 4 years ago from Bowling Green, Kentucky I think people are fascinated so much by the Titanic and its disaster. They will want to read about its sister ships too. anonymous 4 years ago Thnx for this great info thememorybooksh1 4 years ago aesta1 4 years ago from Ontario, Canada Really enjoyed reading this. A great topic with lots of interesting information. Congrats on the purple star, well deserved! ShariSmith 4 years ago A topic that can't be discussed on basic subjects in Gradeschools anonymous 4 years ago Yes, it's so interest8ing to hear about the other ships, thank you for ths great Lens! LiteraryMind 4 years ago from Connecticut, USA Very interesting. I never knew about the sister ships to the Titanic. CruiseReady 4 years ago from East Central Florida Author @Heidi Vincent: Thank you so much for those wonderful, and very kind words. You made my day! Heidi Vincent 4 years ago from GRENADA This was a very interesting and nicely put together lens. I could not stop reading! I cannot help but think that the 'attention grabbing nature' of big sister Olympic with her repair needs caused the demise of Titanic.

I agree with you though that Britannic and Olympic deserve honour for their yeoman service. I am also including this lens on my lens "5 tips for creating a 100% lens", since i think it captures that allure and appeal i think a lens should have. jlshernandez 4 years ago Wonderful read that I really enjoyed. Thanks for sharing. Oosquid 4 years ago I had heard of the Olympic but knew nothing at all about the Britannic. I'd also not read about Dazzle camouflage before. What fascinating stuff! Thank you so much for making this lens I learned something and enjoyed it. Rankography 4 years ago Very cool lens with lots of interesting info about these two other ships. Blessings to you. PaulWinter 4 years ago Interesting lens. i had heard of the Britannic and knew it was a sister ship of the Titanic, but I didn't know about the Olymmpic. LittleLindaPinda 4 years ago from Florida You always teach me something new. anonymous 4 years ago I had heard about the 2 sisters, but I learnt more today about them.

Bill Armstrong 4 years ago from Valencia, California Another beautifully crafted lens, thanks for sharing Hypersapien2 4 years ago from U.S. Great lens! I really learned something here! UKGhostwriter 4 years ago 100th like!! - I love the conspiracy theory ....swapping the Titanic for the damaged Olympic! tvyps 4 years ago from Phoenix, Arizona I had heard about the Brittanic before. I know that they funded an expedition down to it's resting place to learn more about the sinking of the Titanic. I think that the Brittanic was retrofitted and painted in a military color since it was used during WWI. Blessed by a Squid Angel. anonymous 4 years ago You really only hear about the other two ships when you're watching one of the documentaries about when and where the Titantic was built. We really do seem to be obsessed with the Titantic (me included). Preschool Toolbox 4 years ago Awesome and very informative lens...KUDDOS! mihgasper 4 years ago from Ljubljana, Slovenia, EU Great info on Titanic sisters. Impressive! Whitwillow LM 4 years ago Amazing detail. thanks Beautiful lens.

These ships were truly glamorous. grega85 4 years ago I have never heard of Titanic sister before. Thanks for sharing. jolou 4 years ago Very interesting and well written. JGracey 4 years ago I knew about the Olympic's existence, but not about it's war history. This was so interesting to read - and that oh so funny looking "camo". I did know about the Brittanic from an old library book, but it's never a bore to read this stuff all over again. Thanks so much for taking the time to write! LaraineRoses 4 years ago from Lake Country, B.C. I have come to expect well written and interesting lenses from you and I was not disappointed. Thank you for writing this very interesting lens. Angel blessed. KReneeC 4 years ago ANOTHER wonderful lens you have written! SheGetsCreative 4 years ago from Seattle, WA A very interesting lens - love it when I learn something new! :) aksem 4 years ago Thanks for such interesting story gamrslist 4 years ago cool lens i enjoyed very much thank you cruiselinefans 4 years ago SUCH a GOOD Lens! I loved the interior pictures and all the history.

Thanks so much for creating this unique perspective on the Titanic and her sister ships at such an appropriate time. 100th anniversary just days away. Adele Jeunette 4 years ago Your lens reminds me of the Violet Jessop, the woman who sailed on all three ships and encountered accidents on all three of them. I came across her when I was researching Molly Brown and kids' books on the Titanic Brandi Bush 4 years ago from Maryland Amazing lens! I love stories about the Titannic. SquidAngel Blessed! :) sukkran trichy 4 years ago from Trichy/Tamil Nadu thanks for your interesting info on ocean liners. KimGiancaterino 4 years ago Wonderful stuff ... I always learn so much from your lenses. mjtaylor lm 4 years ago Agreed; this is excellent work. I especially love the interior shots. anonymous 4 years ago I had no idea the other two ships even existed. Fascinating story about two ships that served Britain with valor during WWI. Great pictures and a GREAT lens! Rangoon House 4 years ago from Australia I love the interior pictures. Wish I was there.

LouisaDembul 4 years ago This was really interesting reading. We always focus so much on Titanic, forgetting her sister ships. TonyPayne 4 years ago from Southampton, UK Excellent job here on the lesser known sister ships of the Titanic. Blessed, and a link added on my Titanic Movies lens. anonymous 5 years ago I love this lense. I hope you don't mind but I featured it on mine as it went nicely with it :) anonymous 5 years ago What a wonderful piece of history you have shared and so fascinatingly. The lay over during the war of the Olympic in "Belfast" was sure a good safe harbor idea but what an exciting commission she had; a merchant ships surprise and honor! There couldn't be a higher honor than being the transport for wounded troops, the Britannic served well. I may have heard of the Titanic's sisters but don't recall knowing any of what you shared. So very well done and I love how you kepts us going with your 'more on that later"....blessed! Deadicated LM 5 years ago They were all beautifully crafted ships; they just don't make them like that any more.

Thanks for this interesting Lens (and the Titanic lens, wonderfully crafted). I love history. TeacherSerenia 5 years ago Thank for the very interesting history, Blessed by a History Loving Angel. anonymous 5 years ago This is a treasure trove and a great pleasure to read! All these great ocean-liners are forever enchanting in the mind! :) WriterJanis2 5 years ago Wow! Learned a lot here. Great info. cruiselinefans 5 years ago Lovely Photos. Thanks so much for sharing this article about an era of liners gone by. I learned a ton! WildFacesGallery 5 years ago from Iowa Brilliantly done. I learned a lot and you were interesting and concise. Blessed. anonymous 5 years ago great information and tribute on your lens, enjoyed reading it tonight, thank you. robertjohnston 5 years ago

Question: What was the name of "RMS Titanic's" older sister ship?
Answer: RMS Olympic